The former World Barista Champion is collaborating with designer Sooyeon Shin to bring specialty coffee home.
BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Photos courtesy of Homebody Union
When I first spoke with Anthony Douglas, it was in the heady days right after he claimed the 2022 World Barista Championship (WBC) title in Melbourne, Australia. At the time, he was still absorbing what it meant to finally achieve a goal he had chased for seven years.
Today, as we reconnect, the conversation has shifted from competition to creation. Anthony has embarked on a new chapter with Homebody Union, a brand he co-founded with creative designer Sooyeon Shin, dedicated to bringing specialty coffee into everyday life—beautifully, intentionally, and without intimidation.
In this interview, Anthony and Sooyeon share the spark behind the brand, their vision for coffee at home, and how they hope to transform the way people experience their daily cup.
Vasileia Fanarioti: Anthony, you’ve spent seven years competing before finally winning the World Barista Championship. Now, you’ve launched Homebody Union. What was the spark that made you move from the competition stage to creating something for people’s homes?
Anthony: I felt it was the right moment in my career to share my own expression of coffee. Since I brew and drink a lot of coffee at home myself, I know the frustrations home brewers face. With more people brewing at home than ever, I saw an opportunity to make that experience more meaningful and less complicated.
Winning the WBC puts you at the very top of the coffee world. How did that shape your vision for Homebody Union?
Competing gave me not only experience but also a network of incredible people. After the win, I wanted to channel that knowledge into something lasting. Homebody Union became the outlet—a way to translate what I learned on the stage into a brand that shares our vision of coffee and makes it accessible at home.
Homebody Union is built on the idea that specialty coffee should be approachable. Coming from a high-performance, technical environment, how do you reconcile precision with simplicity?
Good coffee doesn’t have to be complicated. We focus on sourcing and roasting so the coffee itself is easy to work with. For those who love the process, we’re releasing educational content. For those who just want a delicious cup without fuss, we’re offering premium drip bags and freeze-dried instant coffee. It’s about meeting people wherever they are.
You’ve partnered with creative designer Sooyeon Shin to build this brand. Anthony, what made you want to collaborate with her?
Sooyeon has an incredible eye for design and understands how to build a brand experience. I can make a good cup of coffee, but I’d be lost when it comes to design. From the start, we wanted Homebody Union to feel intentional—not just in the coffee but in how it looks, feels, and is experienced. She’s created something special that I couldn’t have done alone.
Sooyeon, could you share your design philosophy for Homebody Union?
Sooyeon: For me, design should echo the richness of coffee itself—layered, unique, and never boring. I wanted our packaging and goods to reflect Anthony’s depth of knowledge in ways people can intuitively connect with. Every detail, from color to texture, should become part of the ritual. My goal was to capture the warmth and complexity of coffee visually while keeping it approachable for anyone.
Specialty coffee can feel intimidating. How do you both hope to break down those barriers?
Anthony: Trust was the theme of my WBC routine, and it’s the same here. We roast for consistency, so every brew delivers on expectation. To simplify choice, we created three categories: Familiar (smooth and balanced), Vibrant (bright and lively), and Expressive (complex and layered). Our coffees, drip bags, and instant all come with simple guides for beginners, plus deeper resources for those who want to explore further.
Sooyeon, the brand talks about slowing down and creating moments of pause. How does Homebody Union fit into modern daily life?
Sooyeon: When I moved to Australia, my perspective on coffee changed. It stopped being about staying awake and became about slowing down, enjoying flavor, and finding peace in brewing. Homebody Union is built to create that pause in the day—a reminder that coffee isn’t just caffeine, but a chance to breathe.
Anthony, as you already mentioned, your WBC routine was about trust. Do you see Homebody Union as an extension of that theme?
Anthony: Absolutely. At home you don’t have endless beans to experiment with, so consistency matters. We want people to trust that when they brew our coffee, it will taste the way we said it would: easy, enjoyable, and reliable every time.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about where Homebody Union can go?
I’m very excited about our upcoming drip bags and freeze-dried instant range. The quality has surprised even me, and they’re so easy to use. As a global ambassador for Timemore, I also see great opportunities for collaboration. Our focus now is on distribution, education, and building presence at international events. The early response has been incredible, and we’re grateful for the support.
Finally, if you could each describe Homebody Union in three words, what would they be?
Anthony: Intentional, satisfying, easy. Everything we do is carefully considered, coffee should bring comfort, and it should be simple to enjoy.
Sooyeon: Intentional, quality, simple. Every detail is purposeful, the standard is high, and the experience should always feel approachable.
Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work.
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